San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra
New Music Competition for Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary

The Competition Begins!

Press Release
Updated September 4, 2011
SFMO New Music Committee Secretary
newmusicinfo@sfmandolin.org
510-649-9519

The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra announces a competition for new compositions for the orchestra in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge (see www.goldengatebridge75.org).  We are asking composers to write a new piece as a tribute to this magnificent structure.  Compositions should be arranged for our orchestra and will be played by the orchestra in April to June, 2012.  The winning piece will be recorded for circulation to various media including radio and television.

 “Much of our music was written several centuries ago by people who told us about their lives and their world using emotions captured by the music,” said Nicola Swinburne Bocus, SFMO’s Artistic Director.  “We want to show how it can capture today’s sensations about events in our lives, and be performed on the instruments we play today.” 

The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra is a 20 to 25-member strong community orchestra, with a mixture of mandolins, mandolas, octave mandolins, mandocello, guitar, and bass. It functions both as a plucked string version of the more common, bowed string orchestra, but also differs in the additional chordal and rhythmic capacities of the instruments, and the use of tremolo and other mandolin-specific techniques.

Details of the competition were announced on the San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra website, www.sfmandolin.org, on August 1, 2011.  The judges of the final three compositions are: Tony Kaye, Keith Harris, and Carlo Aonzo. The orchestra will decide the winner out of three finalists.  Information is available about the format for submission of entries, composition duration, and information on how to arrange for our mandolin orchestra. The deadline for receipt of entries will be January 31, 2012.

The required composition length is 3 to 8 minutes.  The initial submission will consist of a score and a written description of the connection between the composer’s music and the Bridge. The pieces will be reviewed by a panel of 3 judges who will choose three from all the entries.  The three will then be played by the orchestra during rehearsals April to May 2012 and the winner and runners up chosen by the orchestra members at the first concert in May.  Prizes will be: $1200 (1st prize); $300 (2nd prize); and $100 (3rd prize).

Please email San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra New Music Secretary, Nicola Bocus at newmusicinfo@sfmandolin.org if you are interested, and sign up for competition updates through the competition mailing list at www.sfmandolin.org/newmusic.shtml.